Group B: Chile

Free-flowing attacking football but without the stars for serious impact

By
Time Out staff
26 May 2014

The team: Chile won a lot of fans when they comfortably dispatched England 2-0 at Wembley in a friendly back in October, with their free-flowing attacking style proving too much for the Three Lions. This attractive brand of football also proved successful during qualifying, with Chile going on a five-match winning streak to turn around a previously precarious campaign. This upturn in form and style came with the appointment of Jorge Sampaoli as coach, whose skills could be in high-demand from top European clubs next season. But while Chile score for fun (29 in 16 qualification games), their defence can be breached by any half-decent attacking outfit; they conceded 25 during qualifying. Still, it’s all very exciting.

The coach: Jorge SampaoliArgentinian coach Jorge Sampaoli replaced his compatriot Claudio Borghi midway through the qualifying campaign and turned around Chile’s form in style. He made his name in the domestic league in Chile, winning three league titles with Universidad de Chile. His high-pressing style makes Chile very difficult to play against.

Key player: Alexis SanchezAs you would expect from a team that scores goals at will, Chile’s frontline is led by one of the best strikers in the world: Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez. He’s a sure-fire Golden Boot contender if he can stay fit.

Facts

World ranking: 13World Cup appearances: 7Previous best: Third place in 1962Qualification: Third in groupForm (qualifiers): LLLLWWWWDWFixtures: June 14 vs. Australia; June 18 vs. Spain; June 23 vs. Netherlands